Machine Shop Safety: Belt Sander

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1. Slide 1

   Introduction to Belt Sander Safety

   • This material was produced under Susan Harwood grant number SH-31214-SH7 Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. The contents in this presentation do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
2. Slide 2

   Introduction: What’s a belt sander?

   • Power tool used for smoothing a surface with abrasive material
   • Generally used
   • for shaping and finishing wood and metal
   • *Power tool: tool that is operated by a power source (e.g. electric motor)
   • The components of a belt sander
3. Slide 3

   Introduction: Early belt sander

   • First recordings of sanding in China
   • Sand, crushed seeds, and shells used to sand raw materials
   • An early version of the belt sander
4. Slide 4

   What it Does: Structure of a belt sander

   • Machine guard: shields the user from moving or flying parts
   • Sanding belt: An abrasive strip looped around a pair of drums which rotates to smoothen the rough workpiece
   • Motor: rotates the pair of drums on which the sanding belt is wrapped around
   • The components of a belt sander
5. Slide 5

   Safety: Who is OSHA?

   • With the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Congress created the Occupational Safety a nd Health Administration (OSHA) t
   • assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.
   • OSHA is part of the United States Department of Labor. The administrator for OSHA is the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health. OSHA's administrator answers to the Secretary of Labor, who is a member of the cabinet of the President of the United States.
6. Slide 6

   Safety: Know your rights

   • Under federal law, you are entitled to a safe workplace.
   • employer must provide a
   • Your
   • workplace free of known health and safety hazards.
   • you have concerns, you have
   • If
   • the right to speak up about them without fear of retaliation. You also have the right to:
   • Be trained in a language you understand
   • Work on machines that are safe
   • Be provided required safety gear, such as gloves or a harness and lifeline for falls
   • Be protected from toxic chemicals
   • Request an OSHA inspection, and speak to the inspector
   • Report an injury or illness, and get copies of your medical records
   • See copies of the workplace injury and illness log
   • Review records of work-related injuries and illnesses
   • Get copies of test results done to find hazards in the workplace
7. Slide 7

   Hazards: Machine-related injuries

   • Possible machine-related injuries include:
   • Crushed fingers or hands
   • Amputations
   • Blindness
   • Blindness is a possible machine-related injury
8. Slide 8

   Hazards: Point of operation

   • Point of operation: area on a machine where work is actually performed on the material being processed
   • The point of operation on the belt sander is shown in this image.
   • The point of operation of a drill press
9. Slide 9

   Hazards: Preventing injuries and amputations

   • To avoid getting injured:
   • Identify the ON/OFF SWITCH (pictured in this image)
   • Make sure the machine guards are on
   • Rest the workpiece on the table support, watch your hand position
   • Sand on downward-moving side
   • Be trained!
   • The on/off switch on a belt sander
10. Slide 10

    Hazards: Nip points and rotating parts

    • In-running nip points (or pinch points): spots where danger especially arises from rotating or reciprocating part
    • 2 scenarios:
    • When machine parts move toward each other
    • When machine parts run past a stationary object
    • Examples of nip points on belt sander
11. Slide 11

    Hazards: Hazard Signage

    • To prevent injuries, be aware of hazard signages next to the machinery.
    • An example of hazard signage
12. Slide 12

    Hazards: Flying chips and wood dust

    • While sanding, chips, sparks and wood dust are likely to be thrown in different directions.
    • Before sanding STEEL: Clear any dust from the area in the figure to prevent sparks from causing FIRE .
    • Please be sure to UNPLUG the the belt sander before opening the machine guard!
    • An example of a cleared wood dust collection area
13. Slide 13

    Hazards:

    • Lockout/Tagout
    • Lockout/tagout procedures are safeguarding methods to prevent injury due to hazardous energy sources. If you see the machines with the signs featured in the image or that are under lock and key, please stay away and do not touch or attempt to start it.
    • Examples of Lockout/tagout equipment
14. Slide 14

    Safe Operation: Getting Started

    • 1. Make sure that the belt guard is intact
    • 2. Identify where the ON/OFF Switch is
    • 3. Identify key parts of Belt Sander (guard, motor cover, table, ON/OFF switch, sanding belt)
    • 4. Verify that gap between the table and belt is no more than 1/8” apart
    • The components of a belt sander
15. Slide 15

    Safe Operation: Breaking a sharp corner

    • 1. Turn on the Belt Sander
    • 2. Place the work piece on the table at approximately 45 degrees and lightly press it into the rotating belt
    • 3. Slightly rotate the workpiece to the left and right to break the corner
    • 4. Turn the Belt Sander off when done
    • An example of a corner breaking on the belt sander
16. Slide 16

    Safe Operation: Smoothing a rough face

    • 1. Turn on the Belt Sander
    • 2. Put the work piece on the table and orient it perpendicular to the sanding belt
    • 3. Lightly press the workpiece into the rotating belt and move the piece horizontally from the left to right to minimize heat
    • 4. Periodically check the sanded surface and repeat 2 and 3 until the desired finish has been achieved
    • 5. Perform the corner breaking operation on both sides of the work piece
    • (see previous)
    • 6. Turn off the Belt Sander
    • 7. Remember to clean up after use
    • The components of a belt sander